As an example of the aforementioned multilayer electronic component, a multilayer electronic component requiring no consideration on top/bottom orientation (height-direction orientation) (hereinafter referred to as the “conventional component”) is disclosed in Patent Literature 1 specified below. This conventional component has a component body of multilayer structure that forms a roughly rectangular solid shape specified in terms of length, width, and height, wherein, on one height-direction face of the component body, a first external electrode is positioned at one corner, while a second external electrode is positioned at the corner diagonally opposite this corner, and, on the other height-direction face, the first external electrode is positioned at the corner next to the one directly on the reverse side of the one corner mentioned above, while the second external electrode is positioned at the corner diagonally opposite this corner. In other words, the positions of the two external electrodes when the one height-direction face of the multilayer electronic component is facing up, are roughly the same as the positions of the two external electrodes when the other height-direction face of the multilayer electronic component is facing up, so long as the first external electrode and the second external electrode are interchangeable with each other. However, attempts to use this conventional component to meet today's demand for size reduction and thickness reduction, give rise to the concerns discussed below.
To be specific, the conventional component is such that, as is evident from FIGS. 3 and 5 of Patent Literature 1 specified below, the first external electrode positioned on one height-direction face of the component body is partially opposed, via the component body, to the second external electrode positioned on the other height-direction face of the component body, while the second external electrode positioned on one height-direction face of the component body is partially opposed, via the component body, to the first external electrode positioned on the other height-direction face of the component body, and each of these opposed parts reaches the edge of one height-direction face, or the edge of the other height-direction face, of the component body.
This means that, given how each external electrode is produced, both the shortest distance between the opposed part of the first external electrode positioned on one height-direction face of the component body and the opposed part of the second external electrode positioned on the other height-direction face of the component body, and the shortest distance between the opposed part of the second external electrode positioned on one height-direction face of the component body and the opposed part of the first external electrode positioned on the other height-direction of the component body, become equal to or less than the height of the component body. These shortest distances become smaller as the height of the component body decreases as a result of the aforementioned size reduction and thickness reduction. To explain this in a specific example, the shortest distances become 100 μm or less when the height of the component body is 100 μm.
Accordingly, as the height of the component body of the conventional component decreases as a result of the aforementioned size reduction and thickness reduction, and the first external electrode and second external electrode on one height-direction face or the other height-direction face of the component body are mounted using solder on conductor pads on a component mounting board, component incorporating board etc., the chances are high that bridges generated by scattering or wetting of solder when the component is mounted, etc., will cause the opposed part of the first external electrode to become electrically continuous with the opposed part of the second external electrode, and shorting of the first external electrode and the second external electrode will occur as a result. Also, as the height of the component body of the conventional component decreases as a result of the aforementioned size reduction and thickness reduction, and the conventional component is incorporated in a component-incorporating board in such a way that conductor vias are connected to the first external electrode and second external electrode on one height-direction face or the other height-direction face of the component body. Chances are high that, after the component has been incorporated, migration products attributable to moisture in the component sealing resin will cause the opposed part of the first external electrode to become electrically continuous with the opposed part of the second external electrode, and shorting of the first external electrode and the second external electrode will occur as a result.